Bride of Blush Spotlight: Carley and Tyler Johnston

As the days grow shorter and the frost begins to cover the ground, we wanted to share one final #brideofblush wedding from this year. We just love Carley + Tyler's story as theirs is a reminder to take a little leap of faith every now and then because you never know when you just might meet the love of your life!

Read our interview with Carley and swoon over this adorable couple's beautiful, fall wedding-with a subtle nod to southern charm and simple elegance. What more could a bride want?

As a bride, you have several choices in the area to find your wedding gown. What brought you to Blush Bridal?

I visited your shop back when I was in high school and was going to junior prom. At that time, you had your location in Elizabethtown, and I believe it even had a different name. That was about 13 years ago. Once I was engaged and wedding dress shopping, I heard about your bridal store in Lancaster from my mom and I just had to pay a visit. I loved the small, family-owned business element.

2. How did you know which dress was the one for you?

I typically have more of a boho, western style day-to-day, so I was not looking for a glamorous or dramatic dress. I wanted flowy and loose. I had been to several other stores and I felt like I was a child playing dress up in every other dress. I wanted to feel like a woman. So when my consultant, Alanna, said, “humor me and try this gown on", I was blown away by how good I felt in it. It had boning in it - not just in the waist, but also in the hips - that gave me this amazing hourglass, flattering figure. What sealed the deal was that all the women in the store went absolutely silent. I heard some audible gasps and one woman even teared up!

3. In a few words, can you tell us how you and your husband met?

We met when I was in grad school and he was in his senior year of college. We had met on Tinder, mind you- this was when Tinder was still in its infancy. He had swiped right on me, however, I had just deleted the app from my phone. Then, a whole year later, I spontaneously re-downloaded the app, and I swiped back on him! It was a match and he wasted no time reaching out and taking me out on a date. I knew he was my future husband the moment I laid eyes on him.

4. What was your favorite part of the wedding?

My favorite part of the wedding was taking golden hour photos. As soon as the sun started to set, our photographer whisked us away for some final portraits. As soon as we went up on the hillside, it started to drizzle, which caused a huge rainbow to come out. It wasn’t even supposed to rain on that day. Very special. I also loved when our dog came for photos, because she is just so cute!

5. Where was your wedding held?

At the Bluestone Estate in Willow Street, PA

6. What advice would you give brides as they are preparing for their wedding?

Don’t be afraid to delegate tasks to friends and family who are willing to help. I’m a bit of a control freak and a perfectionist, and I also felt guilty accepting help. It was a bad combination. My mom, mother-in-law, and aunts all pitched in and everything they did turned out amazing. I really couldn’t do it all, and they wanted to feel needed and included.

7. What words of wisdom would you pass onto brides for their wedding day?

Hire a day-of wedding coordinator! You do not want to be worrying about setting up and tearing down that day if you can help it. You should be as stress-free as possible. I had Susan Moran from That's It! Wedding Concepts and she was my savior.

It is also important to label and organize everything, so you know exactly where everything is that needs to be used that day. Being organized will really help avoid scurrying around and looking for things when you should be getting ready.

Don't just look at Pinterest pictures when you are looking for inspiration. Most of those are very outdated. But also, don't be sucked in by "trends" you see on Instagram and TikTok. A lot of these things really are just trendy at the moment, and you may regret falling into the fold and feeling like you didn't have special elements that represented YOU as a couple. Have fun during the planning phase and research research research - but make it your own.

If you can swing it, get a videographer. The day is a whirlwind and a curated video is something you can look forward to watching if you feel like you missed out on moments.